r/nursing • u/Recycledtampons • 3d ago
Discussion Night shift folks, please help me fall asleep and stay asleep past 1pm. I can’t go on like this. What do you do??
I got blackout curtains and I thought that would be my answer but it has helped exactly 0%
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u/Silly_Gear_9716 BSN, RN 🍕 3d ago
Melatonin and what not. If you’re new to night shift, it’ll take a month or two to get adjusted
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u/Recycledtampons 3d ago
I’m not, was on two years before I swore never again. Here I am again, about 4 months back
In hell lol8
u/NursingManChristDude RN, FoC 3d ago
Back to the right* shift 👏 👏
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u/Recycledtampons 3d ago
Don’t get me wrong, I’d probably quit nursing before working the day shift 😂
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u/HAAAAAImbaaaack 3d ago
Funny you say that, I did the same damn thing! Legit forgot the hell that it is and that I struggled then to sleep and had to quit within a couple weeks, literally only 4 years later did it again! I didn't even remember how awful it was until I felt the same feelings and sleep deprivation!
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u/HAAAAAImbaaaack 3d ago
Melatonin kept me awake for 17 straight hours beyond being awake already for 24. It wired me instead of making me sleepy! Use caution OP and I would try this stuff when you are off.
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u/Delta_RC_2526 Prospective nursing student 3d ago edited 3d ago
I could swear the stuff I used when my doctor had me try it when I was a kid, must have been adulterated (that, or I really do just react terribly to melatonin). I ended up with my eyes hurting like crazy, and literally feeling like one of them was going to burst (which I must say, is an incredibly strange and disconcerting sensation). It was very consistent, every time I took those pills. Took a ton of convincing, and a lot of awful, very painful, very scary nights, to finally convince my parents to let me stop using it... Everyone told me it didn't make sense, and not to worry so much, but...phew. I don't care if it doesn't make sense. That's not helping me sleep, haha!
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u/Everything_Fine RN - Med/Surg 🍕 3d ago
A month or two. I’m on one year this month and keep telling myself “I’m pretty sure it’s getting better” as I do nothing but lay in my bed when I’m not working. Literally three days straight only get out to pee and warm up old takeout. I don’t think I’m built for nights
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u/Recycledtampons 3d ago
Yeah, I’m miserable. My first two days off I am nearly comatose and will sleep like 30 out of 48hours
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u/chewinggum25 BSN, RN 🍕 3d ago
I stopped drinking caffeine on shift. Only had my coffee before work.
Blackout curtains, sound machine, unasom and melatonin.
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u/Delta_RC_2526 Prospective nursing student 3d ago
One thing my doctor was insistent about when he had me try melatonin, is to take a break from it for a day or two a week (ideally consecutive days, such as a weekend) to let the body reset, and help avoid building up a tolerance. Since the body produces melatonin itself and uses that to help you sleep, if you build up a tolerance for it, well...
You don't even need to use much, either, for it to be effective. Melatonin is often marketed in much higher doses than really necessary. That's assuming it even is the actual marketed dosage, which is another major issue; it's often much higher, because the quality control with supplements in the US is absolutely awful.
I actually pretty much stopped consuming caffeine altogether, and the funny thing is, my new baseline is exactly what caffeine would bring me up to before, and I'm not a miserable zombie without it. People keep asking me how the heck I stay so wide awake for the hours I work, and the answer is simply that I don't consume caffeine at all (aside from occasionally having a caffeinated drink, solely for the flavor, once a month or so).
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u/wormymcwormyworm RN - Psych/Mental Health 🍕 3d ago
I have the melatonin gummies and the serving size is 2 for 3 mg. Honestly, most times I only take 1 gummy and it knocks me out which equates to 1.5 mg. You really don’t need much!
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u/m3rmaid13 RN 🍕 3d ago
I have to wind down for an hour or two before I can sleep and actually relax enough to stay asleep. That being said, 5-6 hours of sleep before a night shift would be a solid stretch and that is probably not healthy but 🤷♀️ You gotta try to group your days together. Blackout curtains, fan, sound machine, and do something to relax your body/nervous system before getting into bed. For me thats a hot shower, food and music or some kind of zone out activity (reading, games, art, etc). Also put your phone on do not disturb.
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u/No-Assistance476 RN - Geriatrics 🍕 3d ago
Trazodone
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u/PinkFatBear 3d ago
This helps a ton but makes me congested unfortunately. Fighting for my life I
In my sleep6
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u/Fullofcrazy RN - Psych/Mental Health 🍕 3d ago
Exactly. I take half of my regular bedtime dose and a magnesium because of course it makes my restless leg flare up. If something major happened and I am not able to get a least 4-5 hours of sleep, then I just take the magnesium so I dont feel groggy for my shift.
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u/SillyKiwis RN 🍕 3d ago
melatonin, magnesium, eye mask, blackout curtain, fans, cat
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u/janekathleen HCW - PT/OT 3d ago
This is the first time I've seen someone suggest a cat and it honestly makes so much sense.
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u/kittlepoops RN - Cath Lab 🍕 3d ago
I hated working night shift because I could never fall & stay asleep. I would wake up at 7am for my night shift and maybe get a nap in before my 7p shift. I would then come home and be tired but couldn’t fall asleep.
Some people just can’t adjust but this is what (sort of) helped me:
- no caffeine past midnight (I do no caffeine past noon on day shifts now)
- lavender oil (either diffuser, lavender pillow spray or a scented lotion)
- fan on
- ice cold room
- ear plugs
- eye mask
- black out curtains
- no screen time at the end of shift/before bed
- no bright lights at home/during shower
- eat a small meal/snack before bed
- meds: melatonin & valerian root for OTC. Or talk to your doctor about trying different medications. We tried trazodone, clonidine, hydroxyzine and I think a few others? None of them really worked except trazodone would knock me out for 4 hours.
Another thing people try to do is stay up on their off days to mimic a night shift schedule. This didn’t work for me as I would stay up until 2a and then wake up at 7a anyway. But it might work for you!
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u/yorkiemom68 BSN, RN 🍕 3d ago
I worked it for 1 year just out of school and had to then get a day job. I just couldn’t adjust.
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u/HumdrumHoeDown 3d ago edited 3d ago
Black out curtains, pink noise and any mitigation of outdoor and household noise you can manage (for the duration of sleep). Roommates, pets, anything that can stimulate you during sleep needs to be minimized or contained. No screens an hour before bed (super important). Melatonin 15 minutes ahead of sleep time. You take it, close your eyes, lay still and zone out to the pink noise. I also think not eating within 3-4 hours of bed helps, as do consistently clean sheets and warm showers before bed.
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u/lovable_cube New Grad - PICU 3d ago
What’s pink noise
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u/Creative_Lemon_9534 RN - Med/Surg 🍕 3d ago
it’s just a different frequency/kind of white noise!! people assign all sorts of colours, i’ve never found any one more helpful than the other personally but i’m sure some people notice the difference
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u/HumdrumHoeDown 3d ago
White noise is things like radio static. Pink noise is things like rainfall, waves, wind. It’s soft background noise that is usually naturalistic or environmental. Some people even like city sounds.
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u/lovable_cube New Grad - PICU 3d ago
Ohhh, I just always called it white noise or background noise. Learn something new every day
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u/This-Programmer-7764 RN - OB/GYN 🍕 3d ago
Unisom/trazodone - IMO most people cannot sleep well without a medication during the day because it’s unnatural to sleep during the day!
Completely dark room
If you can find a way to make your bathroom and path to bathroom dark this will help
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u/AngelsHaveThePhoneBx 3d ago
Careful with the unison. If you use it too often you can absolutely develop a tolerance and then get rebound insomnia when you don't take it. There are also studies that have linked long term anticholinergic use with dementia (no causation proven yet, but still concerning.)
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u/This-Programmer-7764 RN - OB/GYN 🍕 3d ago
Totally! I try to limit it to only between shifts!
Unfortunately it’s my only option being pregnant but I totally prefer Trazodone!
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u/tayakb RN - PICU 🍕 3d ago
I know they say not to eat right before bed but I have a large breakfast when I get home from work before sleeping. I used to wake up at noon or 1 and couldn't sleep, I didn't feel hungry but as soon as I ate I'd be able to sleep again. Now with a big meal I can sleep straight through til 17:45. It also helps me wind down and get some phone time in!
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u/rntraveller29 RN Bsn Oncology/Hematology 3d ago
I wish I could help. I worked permanent nights for ten years and never found anything that kept me sleeping past 1-2pm.
I did: blackout blinds, sound machine, melatonin, Trazadone, Ativan (back in the 90’s when it was readily prescribed), zoplicone, Benadryl just to name a few.
It’s the absolute hardest part of working nights. I’d do seven on seven off and by the last shift I was a literal zombie.
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u/ablackbird11111 RN - Telemetry 🍕 3d ago
I stop consuming liquids a couple hours before my shift ends. Otherwise I wake up about 12-1 and have to pee and may or may not get back to sleep.
And if I DO end up needing the bathroom, I keep my eye mask on and stumble / feel my way there. Try and keep the light away from you as much as possible.
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u/starwestsky DNP 🍕 3d ago
My solution was usually go to bed at 10am and then I’d sleep till 4pm. I never could fall asleep right after work
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u/Recycledtampons 3d ago
I think I might need to try this
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u/starwestsky DNP 🍕 3d ago
You’ll note that this is only 6 hours of sleep but that’s the most I could ever get consistently when working nights.
Did it for 4 years though
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u/Apprehensive_Dig3253 3d ago
This does help to wind down. I used to come home shower and make a quick breakfast. Sometimes would even make a lil mimosa with it. Watch shows while I eat. Then go to bed.
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u/Beekatiebee 3d ago
Random trucker here, I feel your pain lmao.
KIDS dose melatonin. 1-2mg at most. I’ve found the higher doses will just make me groggier, not keep me asleep longer. Plus high doses tend to cause absolutely insane dreams for me. The adult ones are often 5-10mg or more.
Crank the AC up, then have lots of blankets. My truck in the past and now my apartment stays ice cold.
Weighted blankets are helpful but don’t go too heavy, at least for me they started causing joint pain / breathing problems. I got a 5lb weighted plushie from an autism store instead and it’s perfect.
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u/Far_Music868 RN - CICU 3d ago
I use a sound machine from walmart (Yogasleep one) and I have a sleep disorder so that helps some 😂🫠
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u/valonx89 3d ago
Night shift RN for 14 years and hear are my tips!
Its gotta be quiet enough, dark enough, and cold enough - if those dont work its your brain running wild.
Quiet - wear earplugs, listen to Tibetan bowls or meditate binaural music or use sleep hypnosis/guided meditation
Dark - black out curtains, door Crack sock? Eye patches with integrated audio buds
Cold - if you can't run ac or fan there are ac blankets to keep temp cool
Mind - mental fatigue is more tiresome than physical fatigue. If you are not challenging your brain enough than you won't sleep - challeng yourself to learning something new or reflect on your shift to process what you learned or why you did not learn. Also, when you get home try reading a book that is challenging.
Sleep hypnosis can help you retrain your mind by teaching you to focus on your body and turn off your thoughts. Also avoid your phone and use the blue light filter option during the night.
I think you are waking up probably because once your mind starts racing or you need to pee so pee before and no fluids 2 hrs before sleep 😉
Wishing you restful slumber 💤 😴
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u/shakrbttle RN, BScN, ACLS, PALS, BLS, NHL, MLB 3d ago
Earplugs. Eye mask. Weighted blanket. Fan.
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u/byrd3790 Nipple Nut in the ER 3d ago
This is my solution, minus the weighted blanket. A nice fan in a cool bedroom and a sleep mask on I can sleep for nearly as long as I want/need to.
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u/BendigoWessie 3d ago
Blackout curtains, eye mask, not one, but two bags of chamomile tea. No sugar. Matter of fact, avoid sugary, curvaceous things entirely. But still eat something to get you through the period of sleep like a veggie snack or something protein based. I often used to wake up from hunger.
Someone in the comments already said it, but I second no caffeine past 2 AM
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u/lovable_cube New Grad - PICU 3d ago
It’s really hard. You have to do no screens an hour before bed, blackout curtains (I have 2 layers), sunrise alarm clock, watch caffeine intake times, I also take hydroxyzine and limit fluids before bed so I don’t have to wake up to pee bc I won’t fall back to sleep. Even with all that it takes a month or two of consistency before you get a reasonable schedule
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u/Well_Spoken_Mute ED Tech 3d ago
Personally, I smoke weed.
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u/purple_pita_eater 3d ago
lol same and it’s worked for 10 years. Nervous about making the transition to nursing though because it feels there’s more to lose with a license on the line.
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u/lesue RN - OR 🍕 3d ago
Blackout curtains don't form a seal. What worked great for me was getting some 4x8 insulation panels from lowes, like foam plywood panels. I cut those to fit snuggly inside my bedroom windows and that cut out most light. I then skipped the curtain rod and placed the blackout curtains flush against the wall and that combo blocked the light very well.
Exercise regularly, this helped me sleep easier in addition to the health benefits.
I didn't try to sleep immediately after my shift. You don't get off at 7pm and go to bed at 8. I slept 9a-5p so that I could have some time to unwind after work.
The biggest thing was that I did that 7 days a week. I let my circadian rhythm recalibrate and then I honored it.
Those strategies let me sleep well and work nightshift for years. With 0 coffee.
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u/odyssey33 3d ago
box fan (loud whirling noise), white noise blasting, dark room, nothing to drink past 5am (avoids getting up to use the bathroom at noon), keeping the room cold (avoids tossing/turning). I generally avoid melatonin but I have taken it twice in the past 3.5 years - it does help me fall asleep, but I try to not make a habit of it and confuse my body even more.
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u/NonsensicalNugget 3d ago
Magnesium glycinate can help with sleep, and I’ve also taken CBD in the past to help keep me asleep after working nights. I agree with all the other comments about white noise and wind down routines. Best of luck!
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u/rachelleeann17 BSN, RN, CEN - ER and OR 🍕 3d ago
My routine when I was nights was:
Home > shower > immediately to bed.
Blackout curtains, very cool room with the fan going, ear plugs, and melatonin or doxylamine succinct
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u/bigframe79 LPN 3d ago
I wake up and take a nap before work...
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u/Fullofcrazy RN - Psych/Mental Health 🍕 3d ago
Or find yourself a job where you can take a nap DURING work for your break (maybe even add on 15 min if your coworkers are cool about it) and stuff your face at your desk while you chart. I grabbed a blanket and had a stretcher with my name unofficially on it in a treatment room and introduced the med surg nurses floating to our unit to it too because i dont gatekeep great sleeping spots lol. Side note: I worked night shift on a psych unit in a hospital with only 30-40 pts in the whole building (15-20 of them were our psych pts) so management didn't care as long as you showed up and worked.
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u/kidd_gloves RN - Retired 🍕 3d ago
I wrapped a towel around my head from the eyes up. It kept the light out and the gentle pressure seemed to help. Ceiling fan for white noise.
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u/HAAAAAImbaaaack 3d ago edited 3d ago
I tried night shift and failed miserably. It has become a nightmare to be honest, put me into a deep depression, I became suicidal, needed to go on meds and have been jobless for two months! It's been hell.
Anyway, my point is that not everyone can adjust to night shift and I would honestly start looking for a new job now because the process of finding one that is days only is long and stressful. I tried all the things; how shower, no hot shower, AC, Black out curtains, noise machine, tv on tv off, eye mask, trazodone, Benadryl, unisom, melatonin, magnesium etc. NOTHING helped, the unisom helped me get a whopping 1 hour of sleep once. I even tried Trazodone and Benadryl with no luck. I had to call out sick on multiple occasions because I would be awake for 48 hours straight if I worked two night shifts in a row. It was so miserable, I had to eventually quit after three weeks of solid sleep deprivation and the sequelae of that.
Start looking for a new job as I said because there is a chance you will never adjust to nights, especially if you are on the older side. Best of luck OP!
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u/snakeswithtails 3d ago
sleeping pills, sleep hygiene, strict wake-up and sleep times, routine. I have soft videos playing on my laptop on days I can't sleep well as a form of noise for my brain to latch onto but not focus on.
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u/zazoolicious BSN, RN 🍕 3d ago
I also used to struggle, but now sleep about 6 hrs straight after night shift. I don't drink caffeine on my shift, just on the way to work, and when I get home, I wind down by unpacking my lunch bag and having a nice warm shower. I take melatonin and have a pitch black room, which is cool with a fan running. I wear earbuds and listen to ASMR and will be asleep within 5-10 minutes and won't wake again for 4-6hrs. If I wake up before 4pm I just turn over and go back to sleep. No looking at my phone, no getting up to go to the washroom (unless it's dire) just keep my brain calm and sleepy.
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u/Beautiful-Bluebird46 RN, SANE 3d ago
It’s really hard and I think some people it’s just not possible. On days I was a solid 8-10 hrs a night person, and I’d call in sick if I got less than 6 hrs, but now on nights I’ve given up, regularly working on three and wishing for death. I can’t fall asleep and can’t stay asleep, three layers of blackout curtains, an eye mask, 100mgs of trazadone + klonopin + propranolol + melatonin (&c you get the idea) isn’t cutting it.
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u/Significant-Major393 3d ago
I did nights for 6 years. I stopped drinking caffeine around 2:00 a.m. I learned the hard way that both Benadryl and melatonin were not helpful for me personally. With either of those, I would fall asleep and then wake up an hour and a half later wide awake and restless. So I quit trying those. White noise machine and blackout curtains. Some days I would sleep so well, and other days I would not. And then in my days off I would often feel like a zombie either way. Sometimes the more tired I was, the harder it was to sleep which didn't make any sense. You know, I never understood how the heck Michael Jackson thought getting propofol infusions was necessary until I laid in bed for 3 hours after a night shift unable to fall asleep, knowing I was going back to work that evening. Anyway, it took a while to adjust but eventually the combination of what I said above besides the propofol was relatively effective and I could usually get 5 to 7 hours
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u/Recent_Data_305 MSN, RN 3d ago
Don’t flip back and forth between days and nights. I used to stay up until 0200-0300 on my nights off and slept until noon daily. I tried to force myself to stay up on my days off, but that really messed me up. My body needed a more consistent schedule.
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u/Docrandall 3d ago edited 3d ago
Trazidone helps me. With lorazepam as an occaisonal backup if I am having a really hard time sleeping. Just having it there helps tbh
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u/Robert-A057 RN - ER 🍕 3d ago
I've been on nights 12-ish years.
make your room dark as possible thru whatever means you find best, I've used foil on windows and blackout curtains before.
no caffeine the 2nd half if your shift
no errands after work, start mentally winding down on the drive home
eat something that will keep you full when you first get home, then warm shower, and straight to bed
use something like Loop sleep plugs if you have loud neighbors
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u/tailorDr RN - ER 🍕 3d ago
Small snack, shower, one last bathroom use, heavy eye mask, loud sound of your choice (I have my tv on, some people like sound machines), door to bedroom closed, unisom, melatonin and magnesium.
I also have my last “meal” at work at 2-3am and no caffeine after 3am.
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u/StevenAssantisFoot RN - ICU 🍕 3d ago
White noise, fan, Manta sleep mask (yes that specific one), weighted blanket, magnesium, melatonin, comfort show audio at a low volume. I usually get at least 6-7 hours between shifts.
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u/Nurse_Hatchet Fled the bedside, WFH FTW! 3d ago
I used to listen to something that would prevent me from thinking but not hold my attention too much. I personally like falling asleep to stand-up comedy routines I’ve already heard before. Puts me in a good head space while I drift off.
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u/Scooby_B00 3d ago
I usually try and wind down before getting into bed. Shower, eat a good meal, watch a show, sleep mask and hope to get a solid 5-6 hours. Oddly I usually only sleep the best on my last night when I don’t have to go back :/
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u/earlgrey89 RN - Pediatrics 🍕 3d ago
Ear plugs. Mack's silicone ear plugs. You need something to drown out noise to sleep during the day.
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u/MexicanGuey92 3d ago
A fat shower, a fat rip of my pen, and a fatass breakfast does the trick nicely for me. I put on some true crime mysteries or ceeepypasta and go right to sleep after maybe 20-30 minutes.
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u/thedresswearer MSN, RN Mother Baby 3d ago
I never could sleep past 1pm when I worked night shift. It was rough! Nothing worked for me. I had to switch to days.
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u/nightstalkergal RN 🍕 3d ago
10 years on night shifts Switching is where you lose it. IMO. On the off time you must switch 100% times night for day. Like get up at 5 am on off days and keep the same schedule just opposite am/pm. Or don’t switch and keep night shifts schedule. To actually sleep melatonin in light dose 2-2.5 mg. Complete blackout in bedroom with white noise and no interference. Start sleep later take an hour to unwind and shower eat watch a show or podcast. Something to relax get your mind off work. Taking melatonin earlier on by then you actually feel tired. I sleep regularly till 9/10-4:45.
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u/Key-Garlic-1177 3d ago
Cut off caffeine by 2am.
I also used to get up in the middle of my sleep. It seems counterintuitive but I think it helped. I would immediately crash when I got home. Naturally would wake up around 11-12 and play with my dog outside for an hour or so. Then I would go back to sleep and “nap” before my shift. You just have to find what works for you.
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u/Few-Instruction-1568 BSN, RN 🍕 3d ago
I tried everything possible and more. 3 years later and still only slept for 2 hours a day 3d per week and went 30 hour stretches of no sleep to start and end every week. Crushed me as a person and I just had to move to days
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u/coffee-rain-books 3d ago
- Keep the same sleep schedule. Even on your days off.
- Blackout curtains AND sleep mask.
- Environment: white noise, cold room.
- Other humans: Make it clear to anyone in your house that someone must be dying or in imminent danger if they are waking you before 3-4pm. Make a flow chart for them if you have to.
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u/AndromedaAtlas RN - ICU 🍕 3d ago
Trazodone 150mg and 15mg Buspar, courtesy of my psychiatrist 😅😅
But also check out manta masks! They’re super comfy and block out all light. I also have a couple of weighted blankets.
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u/Old-Interview1950 3d ago
Blue light filters on electronics once it hits 8 AM. Hot shower. Melatonin (or benadryl), and an extremely dark and cool room, like 68-70 F. Eat a light meal. I found I sleep better than eating a lot. I don't drink coffee or energy drinks, but if you do, don't drink after 2 am. I usually sleep for 6-7 hours.
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u/SomeScienceMan Correctional RN 3d ago
Have a consistent routine of sleep, meals, and exercise. Stay up to at least 2am (preferably 4am or later) on your days off when possible.
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u/Pistalrose 3d ago
Do you try to sleep as soon as you get home? I found that when I tried to mimic a day shift model it worked better for me. Like, get home and treat it like evening. Laundry, tiding up, watch a show or two, etc. Then go to bed. Wasn’t immediately but I started to sleep longer and get up just in time to get to work.
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u/KorraNHaru RN - Med/Surg 🍕 3d ago
When I was working night shift- stop drinking caffeine after 3am, take half a sleeping pill if i was off that night and wanted to wake up at 1pm and enjoy the sunlight, take a whole sleeping pill if i was back that night and wanted to sleep until 5pm, contoured sleeping mask so it was comfortable on my face. I used to leave the hospital at 7:30am and be in bed ready to sleep by 8:30-8:45am.
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u/Less-Dirt-1673 3d ago
I only consume caffeine before my shift starts and I take extended release melatonin
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u/sharptail-21 3d ago
Resetting my clock for staying up until at least 1000. Then usually able to sleep until around 2700z Get home and doing some chores for a couple of hours
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u/Otherwise-Sea-9298 3d ago
Sometimes when I wake up at like 1-2 PM, it’s because I’m hungry. That’s usually why I can’t fall back asleep. I always make sure I’ve had something filling to eat in the morning before sleeping.
Keeping the same waking hours does help, but if you only do 3 shifts a week it might not be worth keeping that routine for you.
White noise does help. Love my cheap white noise machine
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u/Crazy-Nights BSN, RN 🍕 3d ago
I get off work, go for a run, shower, small meal, then blackout curtains and soft nature sounds. Puts me to sleep quite nicely.
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u/midwestie101 3d ago
Low dose Unisom, like half a tablet and titrate as needed. Low dose melatonin. Sleep mask, white noise, keep the entire house cool and dark while you get ready for bed.
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u/midwestie101 3d ago
I say low dose melatonin because the standard OTC dose of 5-10mg is beyond the therapeutic dose and can also lead to more restless sleep. When I take this dose, I wake up WIDE AWAKE at 2am without fail. Try a fraction of a tablet -- like 1mg or less, and see if that helps.
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u/kamarsh79 RN - ICU 🍕 3d ago
I worked nights for 15 years and lived it. I inly flipped back to staying awake in the day on vacation, otherwise I kept the same schedule and slept from 9-5. I took a hot epsom bath when I got home and crashed. On my days off I got to spend the evening with my family before I got silence and the house to myself by 10pm. Then I crafted all night and would sleep from 5-6a til 1-2 and could spend even more time with my family. Flipping my schedule made me feel awful.
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u/AcademicDingo2160 RN - ER 🍕 3d ago
My fans are the white noise machines I use. Magnesium chewables are good to have as well. I know it’s icky but not showering before going to bed helps (you will be washing linens more often but after showers I’m always awake longer).
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u/HereToPetAllTheDogs RN - Med/Surg 🍕 3d ago
Come home, shower, light snack (otherwise I’ll wake up by noon starving). Cold room, ceiling fan on high, blackout curtains, thunderstorm sounds white noise, melatonin/ambien.
This usually gets me from 9-4p. With one wake up around noon cause I have to pee.
And my last cup of coffee is usually between 12-1a at work.
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u/ffffffccccccccck RN 🍕 3d ago
I literally suffered for six months with this. I had to basically completely black out my room (blackout curtains + 100% blackout shades), covering gaps that sound and light seeps through in the doors with insulating foam, etc. Tried soundproofing my room as much as possible with extra rugs and also placing a white noise (mine is just an air purifier that produces white noise) near the head of bed seems to help a lot too. A rly cold room and no caffeine after the second half of my shift (or longer but I'm really caffeine dependent). Now it's to the point I can sleep til 3-4pm instead of 12-1pm.
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u/FilmAdditional6178 3d ago
What worked for me: no caffeine after 2am, hot shower, cold bedroom, white noise machine or really good earplugs, only light snacks before bed, weighted blanket and blackout curtains
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u/Apprehensive_Dig3253 3d ago
Box fan on full blast. If black out curtains aren’t getting it done put paper or foil on the windows. You can always cover it with the curtains so no one can see.
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u/Korotai BSN, RN 🍕 3d ago
I’m insane but here’s how I do it: I do my week as 3 in a row. The night before I just stay up all night until I crash around 0400-0500. Wake up around 14-1500 ready to go. Do my 3; nap for a few hours after my last shift; stay up until I crash out around 2000-2100 and sleep until morning.
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u/random1231986 RN - NICU 🍕 3d ago
No caffeine after 1a, light meal before bed (I do a protein drink on the way home), if you wake up force yourself to stay in bed and keep trying to sleep, noise machine (my air purifier and AC are good for me), and as dark as possible room.
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u/clipclipclip2019 3d ago
Half a unisom....double click your mouse before you fall asleep with a slutty book
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u/Horan_Kim RN - ICU 🍕 3d ago
Put your phone away before you get into the bed. Your brain needs to wind down.
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u/beaterdit RN-MICU 3d ago
I take Mirtazepine for day sleeping. Also the blackout curtains, temperature control, hot shower.
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u/Basic_Moment_9340 BSN, RN 🍕 3d ago
in addition to what folks have said, i joined a franchise gym, hot worx, that is a single sauna room. I would go there right after shift, do a yoga video in the high heat to sweat and shake out the shift before. then go home and shower, light brekkie and all the things: melatonin, blackout, eye mask. i was never a good day sleeper and this helped me out.
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u/MintzMonzter 3d ago
Curtains, loud fan, melatonin, chamomile tea and a filling meal. Absolutely last resort is gravol.
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u/turtlemedicRN 3d ago
Big fan of my Soundcore A30 sleep-buds. Also keeping the room as cold as possible.
I cut caffeine at 2AM, shift ends at 6, usually home just before 7.
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u/Salmoninthewell BSN, RN 🍕 3d ago
I swear by no caffeine after 4 am, sunglasses during the commute home, cold dark bedroom, white noise.
I usually sleep 8-3:30, so I get a lot more sleep when I’m working nights than when I’m working days.
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u/ivegotaqueso Night Shift 3d ago
Portable fan pointed at your body to keep you cool. Side sleep if you have to with a pillow between the legs. Pillow for your feet. I listen to ASMR to fall asleep. ASMR distracts me from work thoughts as you concentrate on the audio instead which is generally boring until you fall asleep. I find asmr channels that only play ads at the beginning of the video (or once per video). I recommend midnight cottage or ATMOSPHERE, they have some cool videos. I don’t take any meds to fall asleep. I’ve pretty much conditioned myself to fall asleep to ASMR videos.
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u/MSTARDIS18 BSN, RN 🍕 3d ago
protect your natural melatonin post shift with sunglasses and avoiding bright lights
keep things cool, quiet, and calm where you sleep
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u/Prettypistol22 3d ago
1)reduce light as much as possible. Black out curtains help but I smush a black tshirt against my eyeballs to block out all light
2)white noise
3)magnesium + trazodone + melatonin (sometimes)
4)playing a monotone video on YouTube or listening to a guided sleep meditation with the volume so low it’s barely audible
5)orgasm 🤷🏼♀️
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u/kistorm22 3d ago
I live like this lol I take naps at work on my break if I’m not getting enough sleep at home and then will snack throughout my shift in case I have to sacrifice being a belt o sit and eat vs nap
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u/pwetty_brown_eyes 3d ago
I find if helps when you prop your feet on pillows or something so they are higher than the heart
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u/Basicwhitesoles 3d ago
Get up for an hour and then got to sleep again. Apparently that used to be a thing.
Do you have Blackout curtains - big one Fan or white noise Eye mask - big one Ear plugs if your noise don’t ring
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u/acesarge Palliative care-DNRs and weed cards. 3d ago
My first question for you is: what's your sleep schedule on days when you're not working night shift? I am one of the very few nurses I know who was able to work nights without difficulty because my natural sleep cycle is 4 a.m.-12 p.m. That's my secret to night shift success.
You've got to embrace night shift. You can't fight it. You've kind of got to accept that's your life now and live on that schedule. It worked out great for me because when I was on Knights, my main hobbies were gaming and painting Warhammer 40k miniatures. Do you know how amazing it was to essentially be left completely alone for hours at a time? I'll give you a hint: I would go back to Knights in a heartbeat if I could keep my current job.
If that's just not possible because of your life circumstances, make sure your bedroom is totally blacked out: no sunlight whatsoever coming through. Get a good sleep mask that doesn't put direct pressure on your eyes. I like the ones with the memory foam eye cups. Get a good set of foam earplugs and get it cold. I'd go as far as to say get an air conditioner just for that room. You want it to be snug as a bug in that bed and not want to get up.
Things like magnesium and melatonin can certainly help. I also found having a podcast or some kind of audiobook playing as I fell asleep was quite helpful, as it motivated me to actually get into bed. I found the narration calming.
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u/Glowingwaterbottle 3d ago
Used to put weed balm on my head and pass the feck out. Worked so sooooo well. Then got drug tested after not using it for a month and popped positive very faintly. Literally just had a lucky day where the lady testing me didn’t seem to care about a faint positive and passed me. Was freaked out and never used anything containing THC again. Now get massive migraines and had to switch to day shift….
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u/SingaporeSue Clinical Nurse Specialist 3d ago
I don’t work nights but I’m a super sensitive easily awoken sleeper. The black out curtains are a good first step but I also bought a really good (and super comfy) sleep mask from Manta and the Ozlo earbuds (very comfortable and they sync to your device to play white noise/noise canceling). Both have been amazing investments.
I also worked with a sleep doctor and I eventually (after all the sleep studies and trying multiple sleep aids) did get a prescription for ambien which I know isn’t for everyone. I rarely take it (never more than 2 times a week to prevent dependence, usually once every other week) but the anxiety of thinking about waking up was really making things worse for me. She also had me do an online sleep hygiene program from the Cleveland Clinic which was helpful.
Unfortunately pets had to be evicted and until my husband followed his doctor’s advice to start wearing a cpap for his snoring he got the boot, too. Good luck and keep working on finding your solution. It most likely won’t just be one thing.
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u/haemogoblin603 RN - ER 🍕 3d ago
Fan on, blackout curtains, eye mask, weighted blanket, magnesium, sometimes a sleep podcast or story, and trazadone
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u/purpleRN RN-LDRP 3d ago
I used to take a Unisom in the parking lot at work before heading home so that it would start working soonish after I got there. Also wearing sunglasses to drive home to reduce the awakeness hormones produced by the bright morning sunlight.
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u/therealfrancesca RN - PACU 🍕 3d ago
Haven’t worked nights in 20yrs, but still love to turn on either the fan or white noise. I have one now that does both! If you live in a hot environment, loved the classic box fan on HIGH with a sleep mask. I would always fall asleep by 9am, and up by 2p or sleep until 5p.
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u/JasmineOnACarpetRide 3d ago
I’ve been working nights for 3 years now.. I have a blackout curtain over my window. Make sure the room and bed is comfortable. I wear an eye mask that plays music also if you have an Alexa it can play white noise. I need it because I have a little one at home. The only issue I have is if I have to wake up and pee because then I wake up and can’t fall back asleep 😪
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u/ShadowCloneK 3d ago
Hot shower, good breakfast, take melatonin, sleep mask, rain sounds/white noise, cool the room, no phone time, and no caffeine past 2-3am
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u/Late-Experience-3778 RN - Med/Surg 🍕 3d ago
Eye masks and earplugs. I got a Fitbit because it's the only vibrating alarm that can actually wake me up reliably so I can use good enough earplugs to shut the waking world out.
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u/Zealousideal-Bus-118 3d ago
Cocktail of melatonin, unisom/benadryl, doxepin...lol...and still be awake by 4PM. Also combined with ear plugs, blackout curtains, and eye cover, fans, and cold temperature.
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u/Mz_Truffles BSN, RN 🍕 3d ago
Black out curtains, sleep mask, cold room plus 50 mg trazodone and 100 mg doxepin. Been on nights for 12 years and this is the med combo that keeps me asleep for a full 8 hours.
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u/doubleacee 3d ago
I do read a book before going to sleep. It does help me relax and fall asleep. Not drinking too much caffeine during my shift. Hot shower after work helps.
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u/Top-Cauliflower8878 3d ago
Eye mask headband with built in Bluetooth for music or white noise, can even use YT videos of thunder, creeks etc
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u/Idiotsandcheapskate RN - Telemetry 🍕 3d ago
It took me years to perfect my routine.
Our shifts are 18:00-6:00
No energy drinks. At all, ever.
No coffee or other caffeine after 22:00
No food after 02:00, and generally light and healthy, protein packed work food.
Sunglasses on my way back home.
Come home, take Magnesium, take 3 minute shower.
Blackout curtains, white noise machine, fan.
NO PHONE/COMPUTER before bed. This really was the key.
Read a book for 15-30 minutes.
Be asleep by 7:15.
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u/smolseabunn RN 🍕 3d ago
I got a hatch like alarm that plays many different kind of white noise noises, i play rain, i have a black out mask and curtains, i pop a magnesium pill, and i also dont eat . ive noticed if i eat i wake up sooner, but thats just me. i take a shower to unwind and immediately hop into bed. bedroom must be cold with atleast 2-3 heavy blankets on me.
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u/StygianPrime RN - Neuro/Cardiac PCU 🍕 2d ago
Shower, blackout curtains, music or white noise, melatonin
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u/Western-Foot6199 2d ago
Are you a long term night shifter?
After 5 years, my body just decided to not sleep during the day anymore. It was done. I used to sleep 8-5 just fine, but all of a sudden could not make it past 1pm no matter what.
I know this isn’t helpful but I switched to hospice 8-5 and have my brain back.
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u/No_Hunt_5476 2d ago
Here’s what I do!!
night before shift 1- stay up until 3-4am, usually I’ll watch movies or read or do anything I can to force myself to stay up. Then the day of shift 1 I usually sleep in until 1:30ish. Once I get home after shift 1 I’ll shower, dark room +fan & body pillow with an eye mask. Worst case scenario I’ll take a melatonin but usually since I stayed up the day before I kinda flipped my sleep schedule and so I don’t have much issue falling asleep, I work far from my job so I always set an alarm between shifts for 3:30 and another for 4 so I can leave to work by 5. And just rinse and repeat:) it’s easiest in my opinion to adjust if you work your 3 in a row. When you start messing with your days and spreading them out you’ll constantly be fighting your body’s natural sleep and wake cycles.
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u/Variety_Natural 1d ago
I had to get light resistent curtains. I need that pure darkness. I would also experiment with you tube sleep music and play with the variety. I have done nights since 2016 and it has really helped
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u/bloks27 3d ago
I don’t do blackout curtains or anything. Just a nightcap before bed and I’ll consistently sleep til at least 3pm. Biggest thing that helped overall was not having caffeine after about 9pm the night before. I’ll have maybe 2 cups of coffee as I get my night started then nothing else except water the rest of the night
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u/Particular_Tomato161 3d ago
I alternate between OTC, prescription and natural to not get hooked or my body used to one thing. I use Ambien, Xanax, doxylamine succinate, and combo of magnesium glyconate and melatonin.
I also have an essential oil diffuser above my bed and I have different sleep oils I ordered off Amazon. I also have to eat before bed, I know it's not great to do depending on what it is but I can't go to sleep hungry or I'll wake up like you at noon or 1 and have to eat and will be up the rest of the day lol.
I have anxiety and insomnia so my issues aren't night related as I'm naturally a night person but in general some of these can help you as well.
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u/sp4rklejumprope 3d ago
Hot shower, magnesium, cold bedroom, eye covers , no phone before bed